


In Love and War

by out_there



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-06-24
Updated: 2004-06-24
Packaged: 2017-10-13 09:53:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/135964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/out_there/pseuds/out_there
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John figured he should feel a little guilty. But Rodney deserved better than some ditzy alien - someone who could integrate in his head and understand Monty Python jokes. Someone like John. Rodney would catch on. Eventually.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Love and War

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tardis80](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=tardis80).



> Inspired by 's comic [In Love and War](http://tardis80.livejournal.com/19357.html).

There was a certain pattern to it: an alien ditz would approach Rodney; Rodney would blush and stutter, and be awkwardly endearing; John would glare at said ditz and use his expression to promise her and her people fiery, painful disaster if she didn't leave very quickly.

The end result was always the same: no ditz, a Rodney in need of consolation, and a night of comfort food and Monty Python.

Except for some reason that wasn't happening this time. Sure, the ditz still made her timely exit, but Rodney didn't look disheartened. He looked annoyed. And when John suggested ice-cream and The Life of Brian, Rodney hmmphed and said they should probably get back to the jumper.

When John tried to start a conversation on their way back, Rodney waved a hand at the recorded readings and said, "This is interesting. Small talk isn't."

"Okay, I just thought..."

"Later."

That was the end of that.

Rodney went straight to his lab and stayed there. John found him at 3am, one arm propped on the desk, cheek squashed against one hand as he used the other to scroll down the laptop's screen. There were three discarded coffee cups sitting around his table and Rodney was blinking blearily. John stood there for a moment, watching. He noticed himself grinning goofily, and stopped.

A moment later, Rodney noticed him. "Checking up on me?" he asked, swiveling his chair around to face John. "If so, you could check the security monitors and do far more efficiently."

"Huh?"

"Security cameras? Those things that record images and other people's actions?" Rodney stood up and crossed his arms. "Surely you remember. Karnila was demonstrating their high resolution methods as you were standing behind my back and glaring at her."

"Oh," John said, as a tiny McKay-like voice inside his head told him he was doomed, "um..."

"Was this a jealousy thing? You don't have enough space bimbos of your own, so now you want mine, too?" Rodney was angry; so angry that his fingers were digging into his biceps and his knuckles had turned white. "Or do you like setting your intellectual betters up for a fall? I'm sure there's nothing more amusing than watching the genius be completely humiliated, right, Colonel?"

"It wasn't like that," John objected sharply. "It wasn't-- There was no-- It wasn't like *that*."

"You mean it was more satisfying than amusing? Something you did for a dare? Maybe there's a betting pool on how many times I'll be embarrassed and refused, and this is your sneaky way of making sure you win."

"No. I just... liked watching Monty Python." John shrugged.

"You could have borrowed the DVDs. You only had to ask. I wouldn't have required public mortification."

"I liked watching Monty Python with you."

"And again I say," Rodney said, his voice slipping from anger to the familiar talking-to-idiots tone, "you only had to ask."

"Look, I--" John took a deep breath. "I like you."

Rodney's brow crinkled in confusion. "You like me?"

"I like you. I like laughing at Monty Python with you. I like hanging out with you. I like you falling asleep with your head on my shoulder," John said, staring at Rodney's feet and mirroring Rodney's crossed arms. "And if you hooked up with Karnila, or Starri, or Fia, or any of them, that wouldn't happen."

John kept watching Rodney's feet. They were encased in off-white socks with tiny infinity symbols stitched in red and blue. John had seen those socks dozens of times: when Rodney worked alone in the labs late at night; pulled off when they needed bare feet for some ritual; crossed over the coffee table as they watched the Meaning of Life.

When John looked up, Rodney was twisting his fingers in front of him and blushing deeply. "You could have-- You should have said something."

John's goofy grin came back with a vengence. "I was waiting for you to catch on."

"And if you'd said something I would have caught on a lot quicker. And I wouldn't have been so angry about it."

"Yeah, well, now you know."

Rodney kept his head bowed, kind of smiling at his fingers. "Yeah."

"Feel like watching The Holy Grail?" John asked, willing Rodney to look up.

Rodney glanced up, looking embarrassed, happy and hopeful. "That sounds good."


End file.
